FC PATINUM will play their last friendly ahead of their trip to Kenya next week when they engage Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday.

The Zvishavane side is representing Zimbabwe in the Caf Confederation Cup where they face Sofapaka in the first leg, preliminary round on February 15 before hosting the East Africans two weeks later at Mandava.

This will be their third preparatory match after they play Chapungu and Bantu Rovers and which will give coach Norman Mapeza a final indicator of the readiness of his charges.

Mapeza has been in Harare attending a Caf A Licence coaching course, leaving the team with first assistant Patrick Mandizha.

Mandizha, a former Shabanie Mine stalwart, hopes Highlanders will give them the competition they need.

“We are hoping it will help us to assess how far we have gone in terms of preparing for the Confederation Cup. So far the guys have been responding positively to training,” said Mandizha.

“The thing about international matches is that we have to make sure that we do not concede a goal but score an away goal to put us in comfortable position and increase our chances of progressing."

In Platinum’s favour is the fact that they have managed to keep the core of the team that saw then win four trophies last season, including the coveted Chibuku Super Cup which qualified them to the Caf Confederation Cup.

In addition, they brought in Brian Muzondiwa from Black Rhinos, Emmanuel Mandiranga from How Mine, Wellington Kamudyariwa from Shabanie Mine and promoted Nigel Papias from their Under 19 side.

Meanwhile, the match officials for the CAF Confederation Cup tie between Kenyan Side Sofapaka FC and FC Platinum from Zimbabwe have been named.

The centre referee will be El Fatih Wadeed Khaleel from Sudan. He will be assisted by Mohammed Idam Idam Hamid and Elmoiz Ali Mohamed Ahmed, both from Sudan, who will serve as the first and second assistant referee's respectively.

Another Sudanese Mahmood Ali Mahmood Ismail will serve as the reserve referee with Eritrean Tuccu Guish Ghebremeolin acting as the match commissioner.